Sporty & Rich Opens Second Store in West Hollywood Expanding Athleisure Empire

After establishing its initial retail presence with a successful debut in New York City's Soho district in 2023, the lifestyle brand Sporty & Rich is set to expand its physical footprint with the opening of its second store. The highly anticipated new location will be situated in Los Angeles, at 8619 Melrose Avenue in the heart of West Hollywood, marking a significant step in the brand's strategic retail growth.

For this pivotal second boutique, founder Emily Oberg has meticulously chosen one of West Hollywood's most prestigious and high-visibility spots. Positioned at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Huntley Drive, the new store will be just a stone's throw from the iconic Pacific Design Center, a hub for leading design brands. The chosen site was formerly home to the Marcell Von Berlin boutique, which operated from 2018 until its closure in early 2023. Its vibrant orange facade, soon to be transformed, housed an expanded space that included a coffee shop. The closure was tragically prompted by the death of its main investor and founder, Rainer Schaller, in a plane crash. Sporty & Rich, under the leadership of Emily Oberg and French CEO David Obadia, will inherit an impressive approximately 5,000-square-foot space, complete with a garden and a pre-existing coffee shop infrastructure. The brand has already begun its search for talent to manage this coffee section, recently posting a recruitment announcement via an Instagram story.

The arrival of Sporty & Rich comes amid a dynamic retail evolution on Melrose Avenue over the past several months. This stretch has seen notable changes, including the closure of The RealReal's men's store at 8500 Melrose Avenue at the end of 2024, with its men's selection subsequently merged into the main women's store. This was closely followed by the departure of the PrettyLittleThing store, whose distinctive unicorn window displays had become a polarizing feature in the neighborhood.

Sporty & Rich is poised to become a key anchor in a burgeoning "wellness and athleisure" ecosystem that perfectly aligns with the demographic and lifestyle of West Hollywood residents. Its new neighbors will include the upcoming Salomon store, Municipal (the brand co-founded by actor Mark Wahlberg), Hoka, and Lululemon, alongside the popular Silver Springs hot yoga studio. This concentration of brands dedicated to active living, health, and contemporary style creates a synergistic environment that will undoubtedly attract the target clientele.

The Sporty & Rich brand, which initially captivated audiences through an Instagram account before evolving into a popular magazine, first unveiled its clothing collection in 2018. Over the past two years, the brand has experienced an impressive acceleration in its development and market presence. Its first standalone boutique opened in New York City in July 2023, solidifying its retail ambitions.

Beyond physical retail, Sporty & Rich has strategically embraced luxury hospitality collaborations, enhancing its brand image and reach. Following its New York store opening, the brand revealed its first partnership with the esteemed Parisian palace Le Bristol in September. This hospitality-focused positioning continued with collaborations with the exquisite Cap-Eden-Roc hotel in Antibes, France, and The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, in New York. With a robust global presence, the brand is carried by more than 150 stockists worldwide, including prestigious concept stores like The Webster in the United States, Galeries Lafayette in Paris, and leading e-retailers such as Net-a-Porter and Ssense.

Further demonstrating its versatility and broad appeal, Sporty & Rich has engaged in several high-profile collaborations with major brands. These include partnerships with Adidas and, more recently, 47 Brand, a specialist in licensed products from prominent American sports leagues. Last March saw the launch of its first capsule collection with the hugely successful Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, swiftly followed by another with their historic rivals, the New York Yankees. Looking ahead, founder Emily Oberg has previously shared her ambitious vision for future international expansion, expressing in an interview with FashionNetwork her desire to open new stores in both London and Paris, indicating that more exciting announcements could be on the horizon.